Rooting Around [POLITICS and RANT]

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
07/20/2020 at 17:28 • Filed to: None

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Here are a couple of pieces I read on The Root today, with more than passing interest:

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The first story, Senators Rubio and Sullivan, they will hopefully be pilloried for this because they’ve earned it. How stupid? That stupid. How stereotypical of clueless White politicians in Murica? That clueless. Boggles the mind. The people who vote for clowns like these two, and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ? Of course they’re not racists themselves, but they’re by golly accessories to racism if they’re not actual racists . Accessories .

And Kanye? I f a Black writer on the Root can write that Kanye is anti-Black, can I be anti-Kanye and not be an accessory to racism? I find Kanye West uniquely awful and loathsome, right up down there with President Trump. They are neither of them well men, and both influential enough to effect harm .

I’ve been mostly staying away from politics these days in this space, unlike my once and former alter ego handle. In this case, I feel like I need to say something , and I’m trying to be thoughtful, and perhaps I can offer a thought that will help one or some of you have a constructive conversation the next time you encounter one of the turd polishers. Don’t argue with them. There’s too much of people just shouting slogans over barricades these days. Write your own slogans, like accessory to racism .

Thank you. Have a nice day.

DISCUSSION (33)

My bird IS the word > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 17:36

“ If a Black writer on the Root can write that Kanye is anti-Black, can I be anti-Kanye and not be an accessory to racism?”

Please tell me you arent serious.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > My bird IS the word
07/20/2020 at 17:38

If I were serious, to your thinking, what would that imply?

slipperysallylikespenguins > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 17:46

Perhaps that you think way too much about race.

The Snowman > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 17:47

I mean if you're anti Kanye because you think he's crazy you may want to think about the fact that he needs serious mental health help. Your phrasing seems kinda racist though.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 17:50

Kanye is bipolar, living a manic episode, and needs serious help.

First step, take away the mic (and Twitter).

But there’s no such thing as bad publicity for the KUwt K klan , right?

Can you imagine publicly confessing that you considered aborting your daughter? There is no way to prevent her from learning this some day...

I wonder if this is the point that Mrs. West calls it on their marriage.

Hopefully this dude doesn’t end up ending himself before he gets help.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > slipperysallylikespenguins
07/20/2020 at 17:51

I’d rather think too much about it than not enough. Or not at all...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > The Snowman
07/20/2020 at 17:55

Thank you for your candor . I thought the mental health part I sort of covered with the comparison to Donald Trump. Fact is, though, any way I phrased it I’d be a White guy talking about a very influential Black guy, and anybody who wanted to could find a reason to take offense. These conversations are never going to be comfortable nor easy; if they are, then what’s the point of having them?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
07/20/2020 at 17:56

And the author’s (thoughtful) point is well taken: KW is influ ential enough to do actual harm. To people.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 17:58

My cousin, and a dear fiend of mine is bi-polar, but he is not racist. He thinks he has an allergy to mold and fungus that make him go on manic episodes. These episodes are very bizarre and usually land him in the psyc ward about once every 2-3 years for observation. At the end of the day he is actually still a nice an caring individual and capable of a normal -ish life.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/20/2020 at 18:00

Difficult. Does he medicate?

My bird IS the word > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 18:00

That you cannot be critical of a black man unless another black man with no real authority criticizes him first, without being a racist.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 18:05

No, that’s a big part of the problem. The meds turn you in to a mental blob and the guy is extremely intelligent . He was in the masters program at Berkeley in Physics when the bipolar disorder started. He went from A’s to flunking out in one semester. They were willing to take him back bu he couldn’t get his shit together. He refuses to take meds and smokes weed recreationall y.

Jb boin > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 18:06

That’s literally acting in a racist way (or be victim of it) to be forced to act/ speak differently solely based on what the person looks like (or his origins) when the topic (Kanye West stupidity in this case) has absolutely nothing to do with it .

And please, don’t ever be ashamed to say anything against him, he his the first to say whatever he has on his mind no mater if it makes sense or could be disrespectful.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > My bird IS the word
07/20/2020 at 18:10

Apart from the fact that the Root author is a woman, what would constitute authority ?

Are any of us capable of determining if we ourselves are racists? How is racism measured?

I can be critical of Kanye, surely. But is there anything about him being black that triggers me to be critical in some way that I do not recognize? It’s a rhetorical question, either one that requires no answer, or one that brings about conversation.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/20/2020 at 18:12

There is much to be said for self-medicating, particularly if it’s done thoughtfully. If your cousin reaches a considered conclusion that they are more functional by not medicating, and finds they feel well enough by doing bong hits, then more power to them, particularly if others are not affected negatively.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 18:14

What is Kanye’s end goal with his ‘running’ for president? Is it an attempt to split the black vote in order to get Trump re-elected or is it nothing more than ego? Neither one of those is a valid reason to run IMHO, and I have a hard time believing that either one of them could be that calculating.

Perhaps Trump’s election just opened the door for a bunch of no-nothings suffering from NPD to throw their hat into the ring under the assumption that the American electorate cares more about personality and popularity than knowledge or wisdom (I cringe every time I hear someone that's proud of the fact that they don't read) , thinking that we’ll all forget about the last 3.5 years in short order. Hopefully we’re not that stupid, but as I’ve seen in the last few months, I’m not holding my breath...

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 18:16

It’s a very difficult question. I go right to take the damn meds but at the same time he would be a boring and lethargic person with the meds.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Jb boin
07/20/2020 at 18:16

I really appreciate your reply. I did not act nor speak any differently once I started writing my actual critique, but rather, added the preamble to recognize that it’s very possible, even likely, that Kanye’s being Black could trigger me to be critical in a way that I might not otherwise be.

But with regard to to be a victim of it , if I were to say something that had an impact that I did not intend, because I was not clued in to something, then the impacted person, would they not then be a victim, even if accidentally?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/20/2020 at 18:19

I’ve been taking a very mild antidepressant for about 7 years, and it took five of those years to get used to the new me. And it’s a much better me, according to my family, who prefers me not having depression-induced, destructive rages. Truthfully? I also enjoy my life much more without those rages. But it was a long road, and compared with your cousin, probably a much smoother one. Deciding that you hate how you feel on those meds, it becomes a choice of which version of yourself you can live with. Sounds like your cousin has the intellect necessary to make an informed choice.

My bird IS the word > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 18:28

Then why ask a question that you cannot answer? If you try to fight racism by tre ating black people as if they are different, that would be self-defeating. The point is that they are not different except in respect to visual genetic traits. I don't even second guess criticizing Kanye or any black person for that matter. We are all just as fucked up.

Jb boin > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 18:55

I mean that you can be the victim of the passive “ politically correct” racism that makes you second guess what you want to say while it shouldn’t because your original thinking or intent was not based on his “race” (which is not s cientific categorization but ideological ) .

So you end up thinking about the “ race” of the person you are talking about and yours relative to his to try to determine if it would be acceptable for you to talk about this topic or this person when you shouldn’t so you are in a way victim of the racism by being forced to put yourself and others in “ boxes” when in fact nobody is perfectly white, black, latino, asian of whatever .

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 19:22

And this is one of the traps that our current culture has built with regards to tolerance of different ethnicity. As majority Caucasian one has to be extremely careful in any critique of a minority. Some will instantly determine that it’s because of racial bias and one will have trouble of convincing that it isn’t. Even if one does, they shrug it off and one has no interest in confronting them of overzealous applications because it’s a futile effort. Their guilty until proven innocent stance with regards to racial callout isn’t going to change with a discussion of a person of different ethnicity.

O ne of the things that irks me to no end about The Root is I believe that they have a decent platform to enact positive changes among African American community, however what I think it’s mostly being used for isn’t .

fintail > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/20/2020 at 20:37

Kanye, 45, and ‘Rona - 2020 in summary.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
07/20/2020 at 21:03

Kanye is not of rational mind.

But he does love attention.

BigBlock440 > My bird IS the word
07/20/2020 at 22:18

That’s the standard though

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com
07/22/2020 at 18:41

(Sorry for the delay in replying.)

It’s an interesting conundrum. I think the big measure of whether or not one’s approach is racist is how they react when they’re asked whether it is. Do they get defensive, or do they reflect? And not getting defensive is really hard. But none of this is to say that one should be indifferent. What I find interesting is when (white) people pronounce themselves as not racist . That strikes me as taking a look in the mirror and pronouncing oneself not ugly .

I agree with you about The Root. I would put it that they squander their seriousness.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > My bird IS the word
07/22/2020 at 18:44

It was a rhetorical question, one intended to foster conversation and reflection. I am not treating Black people differently, I’m trying not to treat Black people differently. I say this a couple of different ways here. What interests me is how my question seems to rankle you so.

PS: apologies for the delay in replying. Been tied up with becoming a gramps.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Jb boin
07/22/2020 at 18:51

What I do not understand in any of this, and apologies for the delay in replying, is how rankled and defensive (white) people get at the notion of doing a specific, readily identifiable group, a group which has been and continues to be shat upon in a variety of ways, the service of being considerate to them. It’s merely a matter of trying to be considerate. And thoughtful. All the argument and discussion about political correctness and cancel culture and all the rest is just a mechanism for avoidance of meaningful conversation and unpacking.

I also find it funny when a white person pronounces themself “not racist.” That seems like coming out of the bathroom after looking in the mirror and pronouncing oneself “not ugly.”

Jb boin > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/22/2020 at 19:30

Well, if you want to beat racism you can’t start by putting blame on a specific group of people identified solely by their color, not to mention that from a region to another, what qualifies as a “readily identifiable group ” will vary, Kanye would probably be qualified as an entitled American by most of the Africans (and everybody else) .

Treating Kanye as a “black people” when the topic has nothing to do with racism is reductive, he is his own person and makes his own mistakes and on this case should be only be judged on them and not get a special treatment .

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Jb boin
07/22/2020 at 20:38

What do you propose?

I had an experience once where I was the safety officer on a construction site that had exactly one black worker. A laborer, as it happened, and a very good one. He was also the largest guy on the crew. So when I referred to him to the superintendent , I avoided referring to him as the black guy, but referred to him instead as the big guy, not yet being certain of his name. The supt said, “Really? That’s really how you’re referring to him?”

I live in a community that is predominately white. The high school basketball team, almost to a player, is black. And the cheer squad, to a girl — last I knew there were one or two boys, both white — is Asian. That’s just an empirical observation. Are people just supposed to not notice something like that? To look past it?

I don’t know who’s giving Kanye special treatment, certainly I am not, and I did not. I was only trying to be sure that I did not treat him in any way special because he is black. In this case, the effort to go out of my way not to treat him as special has quite the opposite effect, with some, and I find that fascinating. And disconcerting.

My bird IS the word > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/22/2020 at 20:58

Not very happy with where the current conversations on racism are headed. Seeing alot of this idea that black people cannot be racist, but white people can. Which is essentially racism itself.

Jb boin > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/22/2020 at 21:09

This is a good example of what is wrong with the current American society, that people have to belong to a “community” depending on what they look like, forcing peoples to have to choose if they have multiple origins on how they should be qualified .

That the community you are assigned to should determine what are your acceptable interests in art or sports or where you should or should not live is absurd.

W hile bias will still exist a way or another, racial bias is systemic in the US and self-determination should be the rule over c ommunitarianism .

In an ideal society, r eferr ing to the worker as the “big guy” or the “black guy” should be equally acceptable as long as it’s not ill intended as both are easily discerni ble physical characteristics .

—

And congratulations for the grandkid :)

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Jb boin
07/22/2020 at 21:42

Thank you, Jb, and thank you for the conversation. I need to go get Panda with Grandma, but I think I could organize everything I’ve asked or expressed in this thread within the framework of this last comment of yours. And how much effort did it take on both our parts to get to this point? Well worth it, I would say.

You mention ill intent in your final sentence and I am reminded of something that my radically progressive second daughter pointed out to me, that she thinks it is well to look at intent versus impact. Lots of bad impact happens because of racism that’s unintended. The intentional stuff, well, being a jerk crosses many social and ide ological lines, doesn’t it? But it’s the former that I’d like to root out.